Aurora:
It had been one week since the incident, and nobody in my family was talking to me except Papa, who used to bring food trays to my room.
Mateo and Maya never visited me after that unfortunate incident. Overnight, I lost everything.
My honor, my respect, my one and only love, my childhood buddy, and my family.
The face I used to see in the mirror wasn't mine. It belonged to a girl who now had a pale complexion and dark circles around her emerald-green eyes.
Only my green eyes were a telltale sign that this ugly face belonged to me.
Tying my thick, auburn hair in a rough chignon, I decided to go out and sit in the living room. I was getting tired of staying in my room all the time.
The strange thing was… my father didn't offer me even once that I should try to mingle with my family or friends instead of limiting myself to my room.
"Hello!" I mumbled as soon as I entered the living room. Mom and Papa, who were talking in low whispers, suddenly got quiet.
But I didn't give up. My mom must be very disturbed due to my condition, and that must be why she never visited me. She never tried to offer me even a hug or some comforting words.
Papa pulled a sigh while my mom got up and walked past me. I quickly held her wrist, "Mom. Are you ok?"
My mom freed her hand and went to the kitchen. She started taking out spoons from the drawer a little clumsily as if she wanted her hands to get busy with some tasks.
"Mom!" I followed her, "Whatever happened, it was not my fault!" Tears had started sliding down my cheeks.
She was my mother. Why was she avoiding me?
"I don't want to discuss any of this, Aurora," she mumbled, placing the cutlery back in the drawer, "I don't want to discuss anything about … about that…" she finished awkwardly.
"Mom… please…" I almost pleaded.
This was not the family that had once spoiled me rotten. They were different people with the same faces.
"Young lady!" Mom's voice raised a bit, "Go back to your room!"
"Why? Why are you all avoiding me like a plague!"
"Because you ARE a plague, Aurora," said a familiar voice from the staircase. My brother was slowly coming down, his jaw tightening with every step.
He couldn't seem to stand the sight of my face even for a second.
"Wh… what did you say?" I whispered. William wasn't only my brother, but he was also my friend. My confidant.
"I said you are a plague, Aurora… See what you have done to us. Maya… my Maya… she left me…" his eyes welled with tears.
What? Maya! My friend! She broke up with my brother? But why? They were madly in love with each other.
"I'll talk to her…" I gulped down, "I'll ask her why she did that to you… William, I …"
"No need to talk to anyone," my mother intervened, "We have faced enough insults because of you. Now, please go back to your room and let us think, what we need to do with you."
Need to do with me? Who was I? An object?
"Mom! That's not fair…" I tried to protest.
"Fair?" My mom suddenly closed the distance between us. Her face got dangerously close to mine, "Look at me! I married a beta!" she hissed, "We thought you would do better than me and look what happened. Mateo slipped out of your fingers just like that!" she snapped her fingers in front of my eyes, "And then he landed straight in your friend, Maya's lap!"
My eyes were wide in shock.
Maya?
Wasn't she involved with…
I turned to look at my brother, and then I understood why he was acting so cold and distant. Maya broke up with him and got into a relationship with Mateo.
Why did she leave my brother?
She had been my best friend, loved my brother, and still, she left him and chose a man who rejected me just because, in his eyes, I was not pure anymore.
The pain on my brother's face was unbearable for me.
"William," I tried to hug him, but he pushed me back, "Get lost. I don't want to see your face."
I turned to look at my father, who was sitting there like a silent spectator. They thought that whatever happened, it was my mistake.
How could they?
Fighting back tears, I spun on my heels and went to my room. The moment I slammed my door closed, I couldn't take it anymore and fell limply on my bed.
A single incident in my life showed me the true colors of everyone around me.
I always thought my family loved me. But I guess I was wrong.
Love was nothing but a delusion.
No. I wouldn't give up on my family. Once their anger cooled down, they would start loving me again.
I trust you, Moon Goddess. I trust you.